Network switches are typically enclosed within a chassis-based architecture that employs a midplane for interconnecting electronic components on one side of the midplane to corresponding components on the other side of the midplane. For example, an input/output (I/O) blade on one side of a midplane may be interconnected to a fabric module on the other side of the midplane to form a dataplane that supports a certain data rate throughput in the network switch. The interconnection is achieved through the use of a midplane connector.
Some of the challenges in the design of the midplane include providing sufficient airflow for thermal cooling within a small area while maintaining signal integrity across the electronic components, such as the components of the dataplane. Advances in connector technology have opened the way toward more efficient midplane design in network switches. For example, orthogonal midplane connectors allow electrical components to mate orthogonally across the midplane which allows greater flexibility in the design of components within the chassis. More recently available are orthogonal connectors that directly connect components to one another, bypassing the midplane entirely.